Banjo.



No. 787,777. 1 PATENTED APR. 18, 1905. F. A. LINTON.

BANJO.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 19,1904.

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BANJO.

AYPLIGATION FILED APR.19,1904.

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@f bvrm/ 3f Wwf MM if? UNITED STATES Patented April 18, 1905.

PATENT OEEICE.

BANJO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 787,777, dated April18, 1905.

Application filed April 19, 1904. Serial No. 203,946.

T @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK A. LINTON, a citizen of the United States,residing at New Britain, in the county of Hartford and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBanjos, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in banjos; and the main objects ofmy improvements are simplicity and economy in construction andconvenience and efficiency in use.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the mainportion of my banjo, the neck being represented as broken oli'. Fig. 2is aside elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a reverse plan view. Fig. l isa sectional View of a portion of the same on the lineal of Fig. 1. Fig.5 is a sectional View of a portion of the same on the line g/ of Fig. 1.

A designates the rim or the main portion of the head, which rim I makeof a bell shape or flaring form instead of the usual cylindrical form.The usual brace or cross-piece B extends across the said rim on theinside as a continuation of the neck C. The rim I is preferably made ofa wooden body with a metal covering 6. The usual parchment 7, whichcovers the head, is mounted on the usual hoop 8 and stretched by meansof the usual ring 9and clamping-screws 10. Instead of the usual bracketson the outside of the rim these screws are passed through the rimitself, the bell-shaped form enabling it to be done, the ends of thescrews projecting on the inner side of the rim. I prefer to place awasher 11 over each screw and on the said washer place the nuts 12. Theessentlal thing, however, 1s the nuts or equivalent threaded holes forthe rotating screws, arranged with their threaded ends inside of theouter surface of the rim. The ring is provided with suitable holes,through which the screws pass, and is drawn down to bear on theparchmentcovered hoop and stretch the said parchment by turning thescrews 10, while the nuts 12 are stationary. The neck may be of anyordinary construction, as also may be the tailpiece 18 for secu ring theend of the strings 14.

I am aware that banjo-frames have been constructed with an annularportion for concealing the threaded ends of the clamping-screws and thenuts, and hence I do not broadly claim such as my invention.

By my improvement the construction is simple and inexpensive, while bypassing the screws through the rim into nuts or threaded holes on theinside of the said rim the outermost projecting face of the said rim isleft 'smooth and free from all objectionable projections. It is alsobelieved that the bellshaped rim gives the instrument a better tone andan increased volume of sound.

I claim as my invention-4 In a banjo, the combination of the rim havinga flaring bell-shaped body with the parchment, hoop, ring, and rotatingclampingscrews, the said clamping-screws passing through holes in thesaid ring and through the slanting sides of the flaring bell-shapedportion of the said rim, and screwed into threaded holes inside of theouter slanting surface of the said bell-shaped rim.

FREDERICK A. LINTCN.

IVitnesses:

JAMES SHEPARD, LAWRENCE D. BIGELOW.

